Decision
by Dysthymia
Summary: The Doctor's newfound daughter has made her decision about moving in to the TARDIS. 4th Doctor. Two parts. AU.
1. Coming Home

Romana watched the Doctor. She just didn't understand it. Since the Doctor had found that girl a few days ago, the Doctor was untalkative and he was usually gone. She knew that there was a possibility that the girl was his child, but this was ridiculous. She had heard him instruct K-9 to run a DNA test, but she hadn't stayed. When he was there, he was always either asleep or…nervous. It was the only word she could think of.

This time, the Doctor had simply slumped into a chair and fell asleep.

Maybe she could fix the TARDIS' newest glitch so that they could leave…

K-9 whirred, actually startling Romana. "It is time to wake up, Master."

The Doctor was startled from his sleep. "Wha…? Oh…That's right…" The Doctor got up and left.

Romana looked down at the mechanical dog. "Do you mind telling me what's going on?"

"Master instructed me not to tell you."

"Tell me anyway."

"Confusion, you instruct me to tell master's secret, but master had said to keep his secrets."

"Nevermind…I'll just try to get the TARDIS operating again."

The hospital

The Doctor was surprised that he did not see Sarah there. He thought that she might try one last time to get Cassandra to change her mind. When Cassandra had decided to move into the TARDIS the day before, she had strongly protested. Something about taking a baby into the stars and losing Cassandra…

The Doctor was holding baby Adam while he was waiting for Cassandra. The nurse was still preparing her to leave the hospital. The Doctor was starting to get a little impatient, but he knew it had to be soon.

When the Doctor finally returned to the TARDIS, Romana looked at him. "Do you mind telling me what you think you're doing?"

"Your girlfriend's worse than Father Brian's wife." Cassandra said.

The Doctor reached out with one hand and covered her mouth. "She is not my girlfriend, but she does think she's my boss."

"That's not funny, Doctor." Romana glowered.

"I'll tell you later. I have some things to do." He started to lead Cassandra away with Adam.

Romana wasn't sure that she liked that girl. Or maybe she just didn't understand human girls.

A few minutes later, the Doctor returned to the room.

"Were you kissing her baby?"

"What is your problem?"

"I don't have a problem. You seem to like…What was that term…? Bringing in strays?"

"Cassandra is not 'a stray'. She's my daughter, her mother almost completely wrecked her life, and you feel the need to make it clear to her that you hate her."

"I did not do that. I didn't say anything about not liking that girl."

"Well, it's pretty clear that you don't like her. Would you prefer that she went to some place that she doesn't even know?"

"She shouldn't be here. The White Guardian-"

"The White Guardian has no control over who I chose to let stay. I didn't have to let you be here."

"Really?"

"Really. I do not enjoy doing other people's dirty work."

"You say that all the time."

"And it's true."

"Will you stop talking about your time-stuff?" Cassandra had walked into the room with Adam, who was fully awake and a little fussy.

"You could tell me when your about to interrupt my conversations," the Doctor said.

"Then you can teach Adam not to spit-up in my face again."

"You're the one who got pregnant."

"I'm also the one who left Manhattan so that people would stop trying to make me give up my baby, turn him into a spoiled rich boy and who knows what else."

"Are you sure you didn't do anything with your best friend?"

"I never did anything like that with Jeremy. He's my friend and that's all there is to it."

"Did you do drugs with him too?"

"No!"

"You didn't sleep with his the priest?"

"No, he's married and he has kids. Where are you getting this stuff?"

"Where do you think?"

"Either Sarah was mad enough to make me sound like a slut, or you met Jeremy's dad, who is hopefully still in Manhattan."

"Oh, I don't think I met him…"

"Sure…"

"I met your friend and his twin sister."

"Damn it…Take him. He wants you." Cassandra handed him off to the Doctor and left for her rooms.

"I don't think she's very happy with you." Romana said.

"She's just mad because I found out that she's not quite as innocent as she wants to be."


	2. Tears

Later that day, the Doctor sat with Cassandra in her room. He was holding onto her, letting her cry on his shoulder. After learning that he had met Jeremy, things started to hit her hard, not about him, but about her childhood. The Doctor had decided it would be best to just allow Cassandra to cry it out.

She'd said a lot. He couldn't quite understand all of it, but he did understand some of it. It made him mad. Bridget was crazier that he'd thought. She'd sold her own children to get drugs and then bought them back with sex. He hated to think that she could be so horrible to her children, but then again, she _had_ tricked him.

Being in a hospital for about a year still seemed to bother her. She had a year of her life that was gone because she'd been in a coma the entire time. Her mother had literally left her alone to be terrorized and tortured by a maniac, all because she 'needed' drugs. The person was clearly a psychopath.

She told him that Jeremy's family had paid all of her hospital bills while she'd been there. Apparently, they were in Jew Jersey when it had happened and had decided to pay for her hospital bills.

Finally, Cassandra stopped crying and looked up at him. "I'm afraid for him…" her eyes were red and swollen, "I'm afraid for my baby…I'm afraid that all the stuff that happened to me has messed up my head…and I'll be just as horrible as _her_…"

"You won't be like her. You know the difference between right and wrong. She doesn't and that clear. What your mother did to you was the worst thing she could have possibly done to you. It's unforgivable. She will never be forgiven for that. I'm telling you, you are absolutely nothing like her."

"What if I end up hurting Adam?"

"I don't think you would ever do that. I think you know your limits well enough."

"You have to promise me that if I ever go crazy, you'll take him far, far away from me and never let me near him again." New tears rolled down her cheeks.

"I doubt that's going to happen. You're not like your mother and you never will be. She might have broken you, but you still have your sanity. If you weren't sane, I doubt you would have gotten away from Jeremy when he was on those drugs. If you were crazy, you would have hurt Adam before he was even born."

"You have to promise me that you'll protect him from me if I go crazy."

"Alright," the Doctor gave in, "I promise that I'll protect him if that happens."

The Doctor actually was worried that something might happen one day.

My next Doctor Who fic will be called "Elyse"


End file.
